Air quality concerns rise in Gaziantep as pollution ranks high in Turkey

Gaziantep has been identified as one of the ten most polluted cities in Turkey, ranking eighth with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 71. Data from the Open-Meteo application indicates that İzmir holds the highest pollution level in the country with an AQI of 100, followed by Bursa, Manisa, Ankara, Adana, Hatay, Eskişehir, Gaziantep, Balıkesir, and Kahramanmaraş.

In Gaziantep, the deterioration of air quality is attributed to heavy traffic and the use of solid fuels for heating, particularly as winter approaches. The city's vehicle population has grown significantly, with nearly 800,000 registered vehicles as of September. Efforts to improve air quality include increasing green spaces and promoting the use of natural gas to reduce reliance on solid fuels.